Online Tools for Healthy Living
Many people dealing with illnesses have a difficult time expressing their concerns and describing their condition to those they rely on for help. It's hard to organize different bits of information, and it can be hard to report how you are feeling - better or worse? In fact, as caregivers it is difficult to admit that there are times when it appears that those we care for are just complaining or having a bad day. eHealth tools help patients and caregivers document and track important health stats and feelings. eHealth tools help patients take control of their health and provide healthcare practicioners with additional insight for identifying issues and determining the right course of action.

eHealth Tools and High Blood Pressure
Uncontrolled high blood pressure can injure or kill you. It's sometimes called "the silent killer" because HBP has no symptoms, so you may not be aware that it's damaging your arteries, heart and other organs. To help control high blood pressure, research has shown that monitoring blood pressure at home can be helpful in addition to regular monitoring in a healthcare provider's office. Monitoring your blood pressure with eHealth tools helps your healthcare providers to get an accurate picture of your blood pressure and chart what happens over time.

The blood presure measurement that is taken at your doctor's office is like a snapshot. It tells what your blood pressure is at that moment. Since there are no symptoms for HBP and no way to sense fluctuations in blood pressure, measuring is the only way to get the facts. Readings can vary throughout the day and can be temporarily influenced by factors such as emotions, diet and medication. A record of readings taken over time can provide you and your healthcare provider a clearer picture of your blood pressure. It can be like a time-lapse picture or movie, providing information on what is happening with your blood pressure over time.

A number of eHealth tools are available to chart your blood pressure. The best ones are very easy to use, allow you to easily add notes of factors that may impact reading, are integrated with other eHealth applications, such as medication management, and make it simply to share results with your doctor.

eHealth Tools to Monitor Blood Glucose Levels
When you have diabetes, it's important for you to closely self monitor your blood sugar levels. That means checking your blood sugar often, especially if you're just starting on insulin. You and your doctor will decide how often you should check your blood sugar. Many people with diabetes check in the morning on an empty stomach, and two hours after eating. Checking often and sharing results with your doctor helps your doctor to see patterns in your blood sugar levels.

eHealth Tools for Weight Loss
Tracking your daily food and exercise is a great idea if you are trying to lose weight. A large study recently showed that keeping a food journal can double your weight loss. And if you are working with a weight loss coach, keeping a food and exercise journal can help them to customize a weight loss plan. You can use your eHealth journal to note when you are hungry, tired or stressed throughout the day. Weight loss charts help you see your weight loss as you gradually reach your goal.

Use eHealth Tools to Keep a Health Diary
We keep a diary for various reasons, to reflect on happy and sad memories in our personal life and to remember appointments and keep notes in our professional life. Just like a diary that is keep to reflect on the happy and sad memories in your personal life, a health diary helps in keeping the track of your health. Using an ehealth diary you can do number of things which help you as well as your health care providers. A daily health diary can be used to manage your daily health related activities, food habits, exercise regimes and other essential health concerns. The main objective of health diary is to create an easy and efficient way of communication between you and your doctor and to track your health goals.

Your ehealth diary can be used to record what you eat, how much you sleep, your exercise, wellness related activities, mood, and "bad habit" reporting such as alcohol consumption or the number of cigarettes smoked.

The most important feature of an ehealth diary is that it be very simple to use, and available online so that you can easily access it wherever you are. A

eHealth and Your Personal Health Record
One of the most important eHealth tools is a personal health record that is used to collect, track and share past and current information about your health or the health of someone in your care. Keeping complete, updated and easily accessible health records means you can play a more active role in your healthcare as well as that of family members or others in your care.

An ehealth personal health record can save you the money and inconvenience of repeating routine medical tests and give your medical care providers insight into your personal health story to improve your medical care. An electronic personal health record equips you with accurate and relevant information for your doctor visits. An up to date personal health record can make it much easier to bring a new doctor up to speed, or complete insurance forms.

Keeping a personal health record helps you take control of your healthcare:

Knowledgeably discuss your health with healthcare providers

Provide information to new caregivers, insurers or healthcare providers

Keeping a personal health record can enable you to partner with your healthcare providers, or it can be a private reference used to keep your family informed about your health history. It can reduce or eliminate duplicate procedures or processes, which saves healthcare dollars, your time, and the provider's time.

RememberItNow! Offers a Complete Suite of eHealth Tools
RememberItNow! is an ehealth service that empowers patients to take control of their health. Designed from the patient's point of view, it is easy to schedule medication reminders, build a personal health record, and create a care community. RememberItNow! includes a full set of easy to use eHealth tools: